TOURISM
Palm City artist Dot Galfond has created a limited edition of 50 handcrafted glass turtles for Martin County’s
Hidden Turtles Scavenger Hunt. Residents and tourists who discover the turtles may be eligible for prizes.
BACK TO NATURE
In Martin County, Okiye cited the
opening of two new hotels and the
completion of a major expansion at the
Florida Oceanographic Society facility on
South Hutchinson Island as new tourism
attractors. She also noted the revamped
nearby Elliott Museum as another magnet
for visitors and spoke about the creation
of the Creek Arts District in downtown
TCBusiness.com 9
Kirk Funnell, director of tourism and marketing for
the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce,
points out that while the county saw a drop in its
traditional visitors, the decline was offset by an
influx of new visitors from drivetime sources.
and allow the affiliation of a very niche
audience. It will give us a unique identity
in addition to what’s here already.”
The area surrounding Willow Lakes is,
of course, already a hotbed of commercial
activity. Amazon is building a fulfillment
center that could employ 1,000 people
and there are a handful of large shopping
and residential developments on the
books nearby.
FLORIDA OCEANOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
The Florida Oceanographic Society has recently revamped its headquarters on South Hutchinson Island
in Stuart. The center is geared toward education and research and increasing visitors’ knowledge.
Stuart, which should be a popular addition
to the county.
Martin County is also bringing back the
Hidden Turtles Scavenger Hunt, which
showcases the county’s dynamic arts and
culture scene. Palm City-based glass artist
Dot Galfond has created a limited edition
collection of 50 glass sea turtle sculptures.
Those who find the hidden turtles will win
a pair of VIP ArtsFest tickets
In Indian River County, the theme of
tourism as an extension of the natural
environment is being enhanced by stargazing
expeditions on paddle boards in
the Indian River Lagoon. Trips are guided
by an astronomer to explain what participants
are seeing over their heads.
Funnell also noted that two distilleries
are set to open in Vero Beach sometime
this year. The Indian River Distillery will
be near the Vero Beach airport, while the
21st Amendment Distillery is slated for
downtown.
So, despite an awful 2020 for local tourism,
all three counties have demonstrated
a remarkable bounce-back in 2021 and
show similar trends for this year in visitor
numbers and bed-tax revenues. These can
be attributed to the undeveloped nature
and our wide-open spaces attracting visitors
wary of crowds and in need of some
elbow room.
It also shows how local tourism officials
have managed to pivot in their marketing
efforts to attract a new slew of visitors
from closer urban markets.
The region has always had gorgeous
sunsets and miles of empty, sandy beaches.
These days, more and more visitors are
discovering its hidden beauty. v
/TCBusiness.com